Description for Bottle gourd pusa naveen

The bottle gourd belongs to the cucumber family and originated in Africa, and is now available in most parts of the world. Bottle gourd comes in different shapes, the most common being the bottle-shaped (hence the name) and round.The sizes vary from six inches in length to more than six feet.

Common name(s): calabash, cucuzza, sorakaya, lauki, doodhi, and ghiya

Flower colours: White

Bloom time: Summer

Max reacahble height: Height: 10-12 feet Spread: 12 feet

Difficulty to grow:: Easy to grow

Planting and care

July and January is the suitable time for sowing Bottle gourd. Organic manure or FYM is mixed at the time of bed preparation or pot filling.Seeds are sown at 2.5 x 2 m spacing.After sowing, bed or pot mixture should be moist.

Sunlight: Full sun

Soil: Sandy loam soils rich in organic matter with good drainage and the pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.5

Fertilizer: Apply a side dressing of 3 lbs. of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet of the garden when the vines start to run.

Caring for Bottle gourd pusa naveen

Weeding can be done by hoeing as and when necessary.

Fruit rot during the rainy season can be checked by training the plants over the bamboo stick or dried branches.

Harvesting

Fruits are harvested at tender stage and before 100 % maturity.

Harvesting should be done only after 10 days of flowering.

Typical uses of Bottle gourd pusa naveen

Special features: Bottle gourd has multiple health benefits.

Culinary use: In Chinese cuisine, it is frequently used in soups or in stir fries. In India, Doodhi can be combined with dal and spices to make Doodhi Kootu. Bottle gourd is consumed in juice form also.Petha is prepared from Bottle gourd.

Ornamental use: NA

Medicinal use: Including bottle gourd in your regular diet reduces fatigue and maintains freshness especially in the summer. It is rich in, thiamine, vitamin C, zinc, iron and magnesium thus helping in improving overall health. Cooked bottle gourd is anti-bilious and it helps one relax after eating. Almost 96% of the bottle gourd is water which makes it very light and easy to digest. Bottle gourd is commonly used for treating indigestion, constipation, and diarrhoea. Bottle gourd juice with a pinch of salt is also used to treat dehydration caused by diarrhoea. Very effective in the treatment of acidity and ulcers. The water content in bottle gourd along with the high fibre content helps with digestive disorders like constipation, flatulence and piles. Bottle gourd is also believed to help the liver function in a balanced fashion. The juice from bottle gourd leaves help cure jaundice. If consumed with lime juice, gourd juice will effectively treat burning sensations in the urinary passage. The juice of bottle gourd is a valuable medicine for excessive thirst due to severe diarrhoea, diabetes and excessive use of fatty or fried foods. The gourd fruit juice is used in the treatment of insanity, epilepsy and other nervous diseases. A mixture of bottle gourd juice and sesame oil acts as an effective medicine for insomnia, it should be massaged on the scalp every night. gourd juice also helps in the breakdown of kidney stones. The bitter variety is prescribed as a cardiac tonic, as an antidote to poisoning and for alleviating bronchitis, cough, asthma and biogenic affections.